APUSH Periods 5-9
Moral Majority
"Born-Again" Christians become politically active. The majority of Americans are moral people, and therefore are a political force.
The Baby Boom
(1946-1964) The period of time when the number of annual births exceeded 2 per 100 women (or approximately 1% of the total population size) in the United States.
War Powers Act
1973. A resolution of Congress that stated the President can only send troops into action abroad by authorization of Congress or if America is already under attack or serious threat.
Perisan Gulf War
1991; Iraqi leader ordered invasion and occupation of Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab powers asked the U.S. and other western nations to intervene. U.S. led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm lasted 42 days after President Bush ordered a cease fire.
Defense of Marriage Act
1996, Declares that states are not obligated to recognize any same sex marriages that might not be legally sanctioned in other states, defined marriage and spouse in heterosexual terms for federal law.
Medicare Modernization Act
2003—designed to expand healthcare services for seniors, with a major focus on prescription drug benefits
John F. Kennedy
35th President of the United States 35th President of the United States; only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize; events during his administration include the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, the African American Civil Rights Movement and early events of the Vietnam War; assassinated in Dallas, TX in 1963
Barack Obama
44th President and 1st African-American to be elected President, Pledged to have the most transparent administration in American history and to reform health care.
Soviet Union
A Communist nation, consisting of Russia and 14 other states, that existed from 1922 to 1991.
Détente
A French term often used in reference to the general easing of the geo-political tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States which began in 1969, as a foreign policy of U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford called détente; a "thawing out" or "un-freezing" at a period roughly in the middle of the Cold War.
NSC-68
A National Security Council document, approved by President Truman in 1950, developed in response to the Soviet Union's growing influence and nuclear capability; it called for an increase in the US conventional and nuclear forces to carry out the policy of containment.
Containment
A U.S. foreign policy adopted by President Harry Truman in the late 1940s, in which the United States tried to stop the spread of communism by creating alliances and helping weak countries to resist Soviet advances.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
A World War II hero and former supreme commander of NATO who became U.S. president in 1953 after easily defeating Democratic opponent Adlai E. Stevenson.
cultural pluralism
A condition in which many cultures coexist within a society and maintain their cultural differences.
sit-In
A form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change.
authoritarian
A form of government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms.
Taliban
A fundamentalist Muslim movement whose militia took control of much of Afghanistan from early 1995, and in 1996 took Kabul and set up a radical Islamic state. The movement was forcibly removed from power by the US and its allies after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
A landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States[5] that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
A law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African American suffrage. Under the law, hundreds of thousands of African Americans were registered and the number of African American elected officials increased dramatically.
Iran-Contra Scandal
A major scandal of Reagan's second term that involved shipping arms to Iran to free hostages and diverting the money from the sale of these weapons to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
Economic Recovery Tax Act
A measure signed by Reagan in 1981 which cut personal income taxes by 25 percent, lowered the maximum rate from 70 to 50 percent for 1982, cut the capital gains tax by a third, and offered the wealthy a broad array of other tax concessions.
Tea Party
A national social movement, primarily attracting fiscal and social conservatives, that seeks to limit government spending and cut taxes
Marshall Plan
A plan that the US came up with to revive war-torn economies of Europe and encourage loyalty and friendliness to the United States and democracy (instead of influence from the Soviet Union). This plan offered $13 billion in aid to western and Southern Europe.
communist
A political system focused on creating a socioeconomic order structured upon the common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money, and the state. Purists of the communist movement also advocated for a violent overthrow of the upper class by the lower classes in order to create such a society.
Department of Homeland Security
A proposal by President Bush in 2002 which would consolidate 22 federal agencies and nearly 170,000 federal employees.
Iraq War 2003-2011
A protracted armed conflict that began with 2003 invasion of this location by the US. US withdrew in 2011.
Sun Belt
A region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the Southeast and Southwest (the geographic southern United States). Another rough boundary of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel, north latitude.
suburb
A residential area or a mixed use area, either existing as part of a city or urban area or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city.
The Great Society
A set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964-65. The main goal was the elimination of poverty and racial injustice.
Cold War
A state of political and military tension after World War II between powers in the Western Bloc and powers in the Eastern Bloc. Historians do not fully agree on the dates, but 1947-91 is common.
Rollback
A strategy that called for liberating countries that were under Soviet dominion.
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
A student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main representations of the New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969.
Counterculture
A subculture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, often in opposition to mainstream cultural mores. Such opinions became more visible and popular, especially in the 1960s and early 1970s in response to the Vietnam War.
free-market economy
A system in which the prices for goods and services are set freely by consent between vendors and consumers, in which the laws and forces of supply and demand are free from any intervention by a government, price-setting monopoly, or other authority.
Iron Curtain
A term popularized by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to describe the Soviet Union's policy of isolation during the Cold War. The barrier isolated Eastern Europe from the rest of the world.
Domino Theory
A theory that if one nation comes under Communist control, then neighboring nations will also come under Communist control.
NAFTA
A trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico that encourages free trade between these North American countries.
collective security
A type of coalition building strategy in which a group of nations agrees not to attack each other and to defend each other against an attack from one of the others, if such an attack is made.
globalization
Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope.
Iran-contra Affair
Americans kidnapped in Beirut by Iranian govt, so deal, scandal including arms sales to the Middle East in order to send money to help the Contras in Nicaragua even though Congress had objected.
Fair Deal
An economic extension of the New Deal proposed by Harry Truman that called for higher minimum wage, housing and full employment. It led only to the Housing Act of 1949 and the Social Security Act of 1950 due to opposition in congress.
supply-side economics
An economic theory, advocated by President Reagan, holding that too much income goes to taxes and too little money is available for purchasing. The solution is to cut taxes and return purchasing power to consumers.
glass ceiling
An invisible barrier that blocks the promotion of a qualified individual in a work environment because of the individual's gender, race, or ethnicity.
Nancy Pelosi
Became the first female Speaker of the House following the 2006 elections
Golf of Tonkin Resolution
Bill passed in 1964 that gave President Johnson authority to take "all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the U.S." after an alleged attack on a naval vessel off the coast of Vietnam. It gave Johnson the ability to send over a large amount of combat troops to Vietnam.
weapons of mass destruction
Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use.
Election of 1960
Brought about the era of political television. Between Kennedy and Nixon. Issues centered around the Cold War and economy. Kennedy argued that the nation faces serious threats from the soviets. Nixon countered that the US was on the right track under the current administration. Kennedy won by a narrow margin.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Clinton managed to gain support for a compromise measure under which homosexual servicemen and servicewomen could remain in the military if they did not openly declare their sexual orientation.
Dixiecrats
Conservative southern Democrats who objected to President Truman's strong push for civil-rights legislation. Southern Democrats who broke from the party in 1948 over the issue of civil rights and ran a presidential ticket as the States' Rights Democrats with J. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina as a canidate.
Richard Nixon
Elected President in 1968 and 1972 representing the Republican party. He was responsible for getting the United States out of the Vietnam War by using "Vietnamization", which was the withdrawal of 540,000 troops from South Vietnam for an extended period. He was responsible for the Nixon Doctrine. Was the first President to ever resign, due to the Watergate scandal.
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Extends to the defendant the right of counsel in all state and federal criminal trials regardless of their ability to pay.
xenophobia
Fear or hatred of foreigners or that which is foreign
Sputnik
First artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by Moscow in 1957 and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the space race.
Mikhail Gorbachev
Head of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. His liberalization effort improved relations with the West, but he lost power after his reforms led to the collapse of Communist governments in eastern Europe.
Little Rock Nine
In September 1957 the school board in Little rock, Arkansas, won a court order to admit nine African American students to Central High a school with 2,000 white students. The governor ordered troops from Arkansas National Guard to prevent the nine from entering the school. The next day as the National Guard troops surrounded the school, an angry white mob joined the troops to protest the integration plan and to intimidate the AA students trying to register. The mob violence pushed Eisenhower's patience to the breaking point. He immediately ordered the US Army to send troops to Little Rock to protect and escort them for the full school year.
Contract with America
In the 1994 congressional elections, Congressman Newt Gingrich had Republican candidates sign a document in which they pledged their support for such things as a balanced budget amendment, term limits for members of Congress, and a middle-class tax cut.
Kent State Shootings
Incident in which National Guard troops fired at a group of students during an antiwar protest at Kent State University in Ohio, killing four people.
ICBM
Inter-continental Ballistic Missile - a ballistic missile with a minimum range of more than 5,500 kilometers (3,400 mi) primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more nuclear warheads).
Executive Order 9981
Issued by President Harry S. Truman on July 26, 1948. It abolished racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces and eventually led to the end of segregation in the services.
Immigration Act 1990
Law that increased the number of immigrants allowed in the US per year.
Malcolm X
Minister of the Nation of Islam, urged blacks to claim their rights by any means necessary, more radical than other civil rights leaders of the time.
Tet Offensive
One of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War, launched on January 30, 1968, by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam against the forces of the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam, the United States, and their allies. A campaign of surprise attacks against military and civilian commands and control centers throughout South Vietnam
Americans with Disabilities Act
Passed by Congress in 1991, this act banned discrimination against the disabled in employment and mandated easy access to all public and commercial buildings.
Immigration Reform and Control Act
Passed in 1986, it was an update of the 1965 Immigration Act and outlawed the hiring of undocumented immigrants, but offered legal status to aliens who had lived in the U.S. for five years. Debates over immigration policy persisted, however, as did efforts to tighten U.S. border controls.
Dayton Agreement
Peace agreement signed in 1995 that ended the Bosnian civil war and established the grounds for an independent Bosnia and a Serbian Republic.
Strategic Defense Initiative
Popularly known as "Star Wars," President Reagan's SDI proposed the construction of an elaborate computer-controlled, anti-missile defense system capable of destroying enemy missiles in outer spaced. Critics claimed that SDI could never be perfected.
Truman Doctrine
President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology; mainly helped Greece and Turkey.
Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)
Ruled that a defendant must be allowed access to a lawyer before questioning by police.
No Child Left Behind
Signed into law in 2002. NCLB addresses accountability of school personnel for student achievement with the expectation that every child will demonstrate proficiency in Reading, Math, and Science.
Obergefell v. Hodges
States obligated to recognize same-sex marriage from other states.
START I and II
Strategic Arms Reduction Talks, 1993-94 between USA and Russia to reduce the active deployment of ICBM
deficit reduction budget
Taxation, spending, and economic policy debates and proposals designed to reduce the federal budget deficit
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House of Representatives established the Committee on Un-American Activities, popularly known as "HUAC," in order to investigate "subversion." Represented the political group associated with McCarthy's anti-communism.
United States v. Windsor
The Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional for the federal government to deny federal benefits of marriage to married same-sex couples, if it is recognized or performed in a state that allows same-sex marriage
Rosenberg Trial
The controversial 1951 trial of two Americans, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, charged with passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union; the two were sentenced to death and executed in 1953, making them the only American civilians to be put to death for spying during the Cold War.
Roe v. Wade (1973)
The court legalized abortion by ruling that state laws could not restrict it during the first three months of pregnancy. Based on 4th Amendment rights of a person to be secure in their persons.
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
The court ruled that those subjected to in-custody interrogation be advised of their constitutional right to an attorney and their right to remain silent.
Rust Belt
The manufacturing region in the United States that is currently debilitated because many manufacturing firms have relocated to countries offering cheaper labor and relaxed environmental regulations.
social mobility
The movement of individuals, families, households, or other categories of people within or between layers or tiers in an open system of social stratification.
nonviolent resistance
The practice of achieving goals such as social change through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, satyagraha, or other methods, without using violence. Common examples: Boycotts, Sit-ins
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The removal of the wall that separated East and West Germany in 1989. Symbolized the end of the Cold War.
Joseph McCarthy
The senator of Wisconsin; he charged 205 State Department employees, and accused them of being communist party members, but they were never proven. Eventually he came across as a bully, and his popularity plunged.
Homeland Security Department
This department combined over 20 federal agencies with 170,000 employees, including Customs, Immigration and Naturalization, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service. It was one of the largest governmental reorganizations since the introduction of the Department of Defense following World War II.
Patriot Act
This law passed after 9/11 expanded the tools used to fight terrorism and improved communication between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
New Conservatism
This mostly republican political movement started as a reaction to the New Deal policies of the 1930's. Its goal was to reduce the role of government.
boycott
To withdraw from commercial or social relations with (a country, organization, or person) as a punishment or protest.
Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty
Treaty that provided for the destruction of all U.S. and Soviet medium-range missiles in Europe.
SALT Talks
Two rounds of bilateral conferences and corresponding international treaties involving the United States and the Soviet Union—the Cold War superpowers—on the issue of armament control. The two rounds of talks and agreements were SALT I and SALT II.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
U.S. Baptist minister and civil rights leader. A noted orator, he opposed discrimination against blacks by organizing nonviolent resistance and peaceful mass demonstrations. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Nobel Peace Prize (1964)
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954, Warren)
Unanimous decision declaring the "separate but equal" clause of the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling unconstitutional.
global warming
a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
Al Qaeda
a network of Islamic terrorist organizations, led by Osama bin Laden, that carried out the attacks on the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, and the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.
conservatism
a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, favoring obedience to political authority and organized religion.
Kyoto Agreement
agreement signed in 1997 by 160 nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; not ratified by the United States
Affordable Care Act
also known as Obamacare, aimed to extend affordable health care insurance to an additional 25-30 million Americans through combinations of subsidies, mandates, and insurance exchanges while introducing medical and insurance reforms to control health care costs.
The Third Way
centrist approach to governance advocated by Clinton that sought to achieve liberal objectives through conservative means
sagebrush rebellion
political movement in the western states in the early 1980s that called for easing of regulations on the economic issue of federal lands and the transfer of some or all of those lands to state ownership
boomburbs
rapidly growing city that remains essentially suburban in character even as it reaches populations more typical of a large city
Planned Parenthood v. Casey
states may regulate abortion as long as there is "no undue burden" on the mother; did not overturn Roe v. Wade but gave states more leeway in regulating abortion (parental consent for minors, 24 hour waiting period)
televangelists
term used to describe ministers who would spread their messages via television networks
